THREE years after Israel and Egypt imposed an embargo on this tormented Palestinian strip, shutting down its economy, a consensus has emerged that the attempt to drive the hardline Islamist party, Hamas, from power has failed. In the days since an Israeli naval raid on an aid flotilla trying to break the siege turned deadly, that consensus has taken on added urgency, with world powers - anti-Hamas Palestinians in Gaza and some senior Israeli officials - advocating a shift.
Since taking power in June 2007, Hamas has taken control not only of security, education and the justice system but also the economy, by regulating and taxing an extensive smuggling tunnel system from Egypt. In the process, the traditional and largely pro-Western business community has been sidelined. 'We need to build a legitimate private sector in Gaza as a strong counterweight to extremism,' former British premier Tony Blair, who serves as the international community's liaison to the Palestinians, said in an interview. 'To end up with a Gaza that is dependent on tunnels and foreign aid is not a good idea.'
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment